Incidence of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli among Infants at Eleyele Comprehensive Health Centre, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Abstract

Abstract Objectives This work was carried out to find the incidence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in children below 5 years of age who complained of having diarrhea at Eleyele Comprehensive Health Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile-Ife. The work was also done to determine the incidence in different age groups of both sexes. Methods All specimens were cultured as routinely done at the bacteriology laboratory in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital for stool samples. Colonies of lactose fermenters were processed after overnight incubation at 37°C. Nonlactose fermenter colonies were discarded. Out of 200 colonies isolates on MacConkey agar, there were 150 lactose fermenters and these were all processed. The other 70, which were Gram-positive cocci, were discarded. These were subjected to biochemical examination such as treating them with sugars, for the production of acid and gas, indole production, motility with sugars, citrate utilization, Voges-Proskauer, and methyl red tests. Results Out of 150 strains examined, only 80 strains obeyed IMVic ++ -- reactions. These were serotyped to know the enteropathogenic strains. From the result obtained, 23 strains reacted positively with polyvalent antisera (polyvalent 2, 3, 4 antisera), of which 13 strains gave a positive reaction with corresponding monovalent antisera. There were five strains from polyvalent 2 antisera, five strains from polyvalent 3 antisera, and three strains from polyvalent 4 antisera. In close study of this work, total percentage of females with diarrhea was 44.5% while total percentage of males with diarrhea was 55.5%. Out of these 80, E coli was isolated, and from these, 13 enteropathogenic E strains were isolated (16.25%). Patient aged below 2 years gave nine strains (69.2%), aged 2 to 3 years gave two strains (15.4%), aged 3 to 4 years gave one strain (7.7%), and aged 4 to 5 years gave one strain (7.7%). Also, close examination of result revealed that male children had the greater percentage of enteropathogenic infection, with 8 strains out of the 13 strains serotyped (61.5%) and female children with 5 strains (38.5%). Conclusion E coli remains an important cause of infant diarrhea. Although epidemics of infant diarrhea caused by enteropathogenic E coli have almost disappeared from the developed countries, it is still very common in developing countries. The relative importance of enteropathogenic E coli as a cause of infant diarrhea needs to be reassessed and new diagnostic techniques will also help to simplify this task.